The Atlanta Hawks had yet another disappointing campaign as they finished as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 40-42 record.
This marked the Atlanta Hawks‘ second straight season without clinching a berth in the NBA playoffs. Evidently, the fanbase is getting restless due to the lack of success.
But what can the Hawks do? They already have a cornerstone star in Trae Young, who has already completed his seventh season in the NBA, but the Hawks are no closer to winning a ring than they were when he was drafted.
So, what’s the next logical step? The idea would be to trade Young in exchange for draft picks and young prospects. Unfortunately, according to NBA insider Zach Lowe, that route is a no-go for the Hawks as well.
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty ImagesZach Lowe urges the Atlanta Hawks to keep Trae Young ‘long term’
Over the last seven seasons, Young has certainly improved as a player, even surpassing records that LeBron James couldn’t, but it’s clear that he cannot carry the team on his shoulders come playoff time.
Despite that, Lowe wants the Hawks to keep Young on the roster as trading him won’t result in a ‘positive’ result for the franchise.
“I kind of want the Hawks to keep Trae Young long-term. I don’t think there’s a great market for him, so I don’t think there’s a trade out there that just completely reorients the franchise in a positive way.
“If I’m them, I’m being like ‘Look we’ll extend you, but it’s gotta be one of these, like it’s flat, or it comes down and it’s flat. Like we’re not giving you the max,’” Lowe said on The Ringer podcast.
Right now, Young is all set to make $45.9 million in the 2025-26 NBA season as part of his five-year, $215 million deal. But Lowe wants Trae to take a pay cut.
“If I can extend him at a decent number, I just kind of like their team, and I do think he’s changed his style of play a little bit,” he added.
There’s hope for Trae Young, but no team will give a blockbuster trade package right now
Young is coming off a season averaging 24.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 11.6 assists per game for the Hawks while playing in 76 contests.
At first sight, Young’s numbers are decent, but it’s his efficiency that has played a role in tanking his trade value. Trae shot just 41.1% from the field and an acceptable 34.0% from the three-point line.
As a result, it’s no surprise that Lowe predicts a mid-career hope for Young rather than a team giving up multiple first-round picks and young prospects for him right now.
“I think there’s hope for a Trae Young mid-career,” Lowe continued. “Metamorphosis is too strong of a word. But I could see, within a year, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, the Hawks are up 2-1 in the second round, and Trae Young is moving off the ball a little bit.”
“I could see it, I think that’s what I would do because I don’t think there are three first-round picks and a prospect or anything like that for Trae Young on the market right now,” he concluded.
If Lowe’s predictions do not come true, the Hawks should listen to franchise legend Dominique Wilkins’s urging to remove Young as the No. 1 option on the team.